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All Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Ho Chi Minh City

17 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Updated December 4, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Ho Chi Minh City

Entrance

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Suoi Tien Cultural Theme Park

Have fun at the world's first Buddhist waterslide park.
Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Cu Chi Tunnels

A nightmare for the claustrophobic lies hidden in Southeast Asia.
The Venerable Thich Quảng Đức Monument.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Venerable Thich Quảng Đức Monument

A memorial to the monk who set himself on fire to protest the persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam.
A guillotine from the war

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

War Remnants Museum

Artifacts and memories from the Vietnam war, located in a place that experienced it first hand.
Saigon Central Post Office.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Saigon Central Post Office

This French colonial post office is arguably the grandest in all of Southeast Asia.
Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda

One of the oldest temples in Ho Chi Minh City, dedicated to a deified Chinese military leader.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

Witnesses claim the Virgin Mary statue outside the church once mysteriously shed a single tear.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Reunification Palace

Meant to be a lavish presidential home, the palace became a symbol of the fall of South Vietnam.
See All 17 Things To Do in Ho Chi Minh City

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Ho Chi Minh City

A next-level iced coffee.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hue Cafe Roastery

Order your coffee crowned with salted whipped cream or blended with coconut and ice.
Doling out heaping bowls of bún riêu.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Bún Riêu Gánh

This crab paste noodle soup specialist has been doling out its namesake dish for more than four decades.
A plate of chop-topped “broken rice” makes for a deeply satisfying lunch.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ

Vietnam’s everyman “broken rice” dish is given one major upgrade at this humble institution.
The chef’s tasting menu focuses on innovative flavors.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ănăn Saigon

A refugee returns to his homeland to open Ho Chi Minh City’s first Michelin-starred restaurant.
See all 5 Places to Eat in Ho Chi Minh City
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Flavors of Vietnam: Fish Sauce, Pho & Royal Tea

Eating your way from North to South in Vietnam.

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Explore Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

A
17
Sacred Spaces 3
Military 3
War History 2
Architecture 2
Colonialism 2
History 2
Religion 2
Restaurants 2

Ho Chi Minh City Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Dan Q Dao
    5
  2. Tony Dunnell
    3
  3. micahspangler
    3
  4. ilbonito
    1
  5. TravelGal
    1
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Add an unusual place to Ho Chi Minh City.

Places Edited

  1. greggc80
    4
  2. linkogecko
    4
  3. SemiruralYeti
    3
  4. dungtran
    3
  5. katielou106
    3
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Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. kathykate
    16
  2. arsenm
    15
  3. Shiki96
    14
  4. thomasvanderkruis
    14
  5. RichardATravels
    13

Recent Ho Chi Minh City Activity

  • belongum

    has been to Saigon Central Post Office

    2 days ago
  • belongum

    has been to Reunification Palace

    2 days ago
  • vivyen

    has been to War Remnants Museum

    2 days ago
  • vivyen

    has been to Suoi Tien Cultural Theme Park

    2 days ago
  • thomasvanderkruis

    has been to Hue Cafe Roastery

    1 day ago

Stories About Ho Chi Minh City

Hanoi’s street food is phenomenal from early morning to late at night.

Gastro Obscura's 10 Essential Places to Eat in Vietnam

Feast on broken rice, late-night noodles, and whipped egg coffee.
by Dan Q. Dao
December 4, 2023
Inside King Koi Coffee Garden.

The Vietnamese Cafés Where Koi Fish Are the Stars

These lavish coffeeshops are aquatic wonderlands.
by Mervin Lee
May 6, 2022

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